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Lord Mayor supports partnership on employee wellbeing

10 Oct 2018

Belfast City Council, Ulster Bank and Moment Health, the maternal and paternal mental health organisation, have partnered to host an event on making it easier for businesses to improve employee wellbeing.

The event, hosted on World Mental Health Day (10 October) in Malone House and opened by Lord Mayor Deirdre Hargey, formed part of the bank’s Boost programme which helps SMEs get access to information and networking opportunities.

With one-in-four expectant mothers developing mental ill health in pregnancy and estimated 10 per cent of men suffering from post-natal depression, the event offered businesses the chance to hear from industry experts on how best to support staff tackling the workplace issues caused by mental health in order to improve retention and productivity.

Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Deirdre Hargey said: “It is vital that businesses take employee health and wellbeing seriously because a healthy and motivated workforce is crucial to any business’s success; so this is a very welcome initiative and shows a real commitment from Ulster Bank to put employee wellbeing at the top of its agenda.

“Having a baby is life-changing, and it’s welcome that this initiative also recognises the impact such a huge life event has, not just on mums, but on fathers too. It’s initiatives like this which are helping to tackle the stigma around mental health in the workplace, and encourage people to speak out and seek the help and support they need.”

At the event, the bank announced that it would be working with Moment Health on a future event series called #TheWorkplace, making it easier for individuals and organisations to get information on this topic in the future.

Nuala Murphy, CEO of Moment Health and Entrepreneurship Ambassador for Ulster Bank, welcomed the partnership: “It’s an investment that has clear and measurable benefits for employees, but one of the things that I hear from businesses is that there’s a lack of understanding about the profound difference that this can make to productivity – as well as the cost-effective tools that are available for businesses to put practical changes into practice.”

Lisa McCaul, Business Growth Enabler at Ulster Bank and organiser of the event, said “Ulster Bank Boost was created to support local business owners across Northern Ireland and provide them with the tools, knowledge and networks to grow.

“There’s a growing awareness of the benefits of enabling employees to bring their whole selves to work, and tackling the root cause of mental health can have significant mutual benefits for employers and employees alike.”

Industry professionals from KPMG, Ulster Bank, Belfast City Council and People Plus were in attendance at the event which provided advice and support on breaking the stigma of discussing mental health in the workplace, as well as practical measures towards improving outcomes.